On Monday, 18 states and the District of Colombia were named finalists in Round Two of the Obama Administration's "Race to the Top" in education. But yesterday, the President was defending against attacks from an unlikely source: civil rights groups concerned about the emphasis on competition. Teachers and some union leaders have also complained about efforts to hold them accountable for their students' performance. The $4.3 billion program is less than 1% of what's spent every year on K-12 education. Can it give states the help they need to prepare kids for the global economy? We talk with the head of the Race to the Top Fund and others.
Is 'Race to the Top' Producing Education Reform?
Credits
Guests:
- Joanne Weiss - Chief of Staff, US Secretary of Education
- Donna Harris-Aikens - Director of Education Policy and Practice, National Education Association
- Sandi Jacobs - Vice President, National Council on Teacher Quality
- Michael Petrilli - Thomas Fordham Foundation - @MichaelPetrilli